


With Friends Like These

by Pen37



Series: The Actual Human Disaster, Hufflepuff, Adventure Archaeologist and the Missing Brother [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Crimes of fashion, Dueling, Five Times Story, Gen, Hufflepuff main character, Quiddich, Reader Point of View Story, Reader as main character, Tumbler Story, bookworms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 13:51:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18344963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pen37/pseuds/Pen37
Summary: After Your Brother was thrown out of school and vanished under a cloud of scandal, you enter your first year at Hogwarts feeling so very alone.  Fortunately, with the friends you make, you don't stay that way.





	With Friends Like These

1.

The rain pecking on the glass and streaming down the high-set windows in the Hufflepuff dorms, combined with the warm, cracking fire, creates a sleepy atmosphere throughout the common room.

You and Rowan sprawl across a squashy sofa, a book in each of your laps. You’ve traded favorites today. So she sits absorbed in the adventures of John Carter and princess Dejah Thoris on Mars, while you’re reading the Tales of Beedle the Bard for the first time.

You look across to your best friend and a warm feeling blooms in you that has nothing to do with the hot chocolate at your elbow. You love that you can share your enthusiasm for reading with someone.

You probably would have latched onto Rowan’s offer of friendship, no matter what. But you feel all the closer to her since the two of you share something like this in common.

You turn back to Babbity Rabbity, mentally comparing it to The Emperor’s New Clothes As you read. You wonder if Beedle the Bard ever heard the other story.

2.

André takes one look at you as you enter the great hall and throws his hands up.

“Oh for the love of Merlin’s manky Y-Fronts!” He scoffs. “Do you have to wear that hat again?”

You look cross-eyed up at the purple cloche. “What? I think it suits me.”

“Not with your robes.” He waves to your Hufflepuff uniform.

You stare pointedly at his Pride Of Portree scarf where it drapes over his Ravenclaw blue uniform.

He shrinks under your gaze. “‘S different.” He mutters.

“Sure it is,” you say. But at that moment, Rowan comes into the hall wearing the scarf and sweater you helped her pick out.

“No, no, no!” André stomps away.

“What’s his problem? Rowan asks.

You shrug. “No idea.”

3.

You could see why Rowan had a bit of a crush on Bill Weasley. He was good looking, and the way he casually demolished the training dummy with his jinxes was just cool. You hadn’t seen anything like that before, even from your laughable DADA teacher.

Before you could even introduce yourself, he was tucking his wand away and putting out a hand to introduce himself.

“Your (Y/N) (Y/L/N), right? My brother Charlie mentioned you.”

He has a brother? You would think one would pay attention if Hogwarts was blessed with two guys who were *that* good looking.

Off your confused expression, he clarifies. “He’s a Griyffindor in your year.”

Then you remember the red-haired, freckle-faced kid who is always skiving off class for some reason or another. You have no idea where he even goes. You barely ever see him in Flitwick’s class.

“Did he have a man bun last year?”

Bill grins conspiratorially. “He’s been trying to grow his hair out since he got out from under our mum’s watch. But the moment she saw him this summer, out came the scissors.”

You smile along with Bill. This seems to be going well.

“But I get the feeling Charlie isn’t what brought you down here.”

You explain in greater detail your search for the cursed vaults, and how you’re sure that if you can open the first one, the ice around Hogwarts will vanish.

“You’re one of the best students at charms in Hogwarts. I hope you’ll help me.”

“The best in Hogwarts? I thought that was Merula Snyde.”

He looks so serious that for a second, you’re questioning his sanity. Then he cracks a sly grin, and you realize that he was joking with you. As you both laugh, it feels for a second the way it used to when Jacob was home, back before his spiral into obsession.

4.

Ben is waiting for you at the covered walkway that leads out to the Quiddich pitch.

It’s not booked (you’ve checked). And you figure that if Ben flies around the perimeter for a while at an altitude of four feet, it will help him manage his fear of flying.

As you walk down the hill, Ben suddenly turns to you and blurts out: “why are you nice to me?”

You lift an eyebrow and wait for him to elaborate.

“It’s just …” He rubs the back of his neck, a red blush staining his face. “We’re not even in the same house.”

You pat his shoulder. “You know about the troubles with my brother, right?”

He nods reluctantly. “Only what I’ve heard around school. I didn’t know about any of this magic stuff before I got my Hogwarts letter.”

“I didn’t either, for a long time.” You say. “Dad was a wizard, but he died when I was little, and Mum was muggle. If not for Jacob, I wouldn’t know anything about being a wizard. I always thought we’d be here together.” You spread your arms wide, to indicate the school. “Being here by yourself, it gets pretty lonely.”

You bite back the notion that it’s also scary. Ben is already afraid of everything. He doesn’t need to hear about how Merula nearly killed you with a plant. “I just thought we could both use more friends.”

Ben nods in agreement. “I’m still not sure about flying, though.”

“Just try it. I think you’ll see that Madam Hooch’s warnings about falling to your death are exaggerated.”

“We’ll see.” Ben looks unconvinced.

5.

Barnaby ducks your jinx. A chunk of the wall behind him explodes.

“Wow! He says as he jumps to his feet. “You are two tons of aggro packed into an 11 stone body.”

You wince. “Are you alright?”

“Never better!” He says cheerfully. “Ready for round two?”

You roll your eyes as you resume your stance at the other side of the dueling room. Not long ago, if someone had told you that you’d have a friendship based on the two of you hexing the pumpkin juice out of one another, you’d have laughed.

And yet here you are. Ready to bloody Barnaby’s nose, then take him down to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer.

Such is life.


End file.
